Forgotten Loves
by DeSoleil
Summary: Kagome's stuck in a love-quadrangle. Except she can't remember two of the main people after choosing to erase them from her memory after finding out they have been unfaithful. Will the cruel intentions of a demon work as planned? Later lemons.
1. Chapter 1

Forgotten

by DeSoleil

(I don't own Inuyasha or any of it's characters.)

'Kagome?' the whisper was faint, but rough.

'Koga, is that you?' Kagome replied uneasily, sitting up from beneath one of Lady Kaede's woolen blankets.

'Are you awake? Come outside.' His shadow disappeared from the doorway, the bamboo flap closing the dim moonlight out and leaving her in the darkness. Turning to Inuyasha, she slowly stood, being careful not to wake him. Sometimes she wondered if he truly lived up to his acute hearing, because with the dank smell of wolf and sound of Koga's voice—she thought he would've have been up and at it, ready to beat the wolf to a pulp.

Slipping out of his hearing range, she exited the small hut and smoothed down the crinkled pleats of her school skirt. 'Koga? Where are you?'

Had she been dreaming? It wouldn't be surprising. Stretching her arms up, she rubbed the gooseflesh from her skin and walked along the small trail that lead to the tree of ages. Had Koga wanted to meet her, he probably would have chosen somewhere he knew she would think of.

Hearing heavy footsteps behind her, she turned and was face to face with Koga's tanned neck.

'You jerk!' She hissed, pushing him away. With a sleeved arm, she hid the blush that had spread itself across her cheeks. Why did he smell so…_good? _

'Heh, you sure know how to welcome people.' He joked, trailing a light caress down her arm playfully. Or perhaps, not so much so.

'Did you need something?' She asked, pulling away ever so slightly. Koga had never acted so…well…innocent with her before, what with all the kidnapping her and making Inuyasha jealous from the beginning. And once more—he decided to visit her in the middle of the night no less, which was a stupid thing to do, especially with Inuyasha not around her.

'i just wanted to see my woman without that stupid mutt-face around. You know, spend some quality time.'

_Again _with the 'My woman'. 'Koga, you know I love visits, but it's nighttime, for gods sake, everyone's asleep.'

'And?' he murmured, stepping closer to her. He radiated a sort of wild heat, the sorts of which warmed her skin without even touching. For a moment, she began to let her mind wander as she wondered what it would feel like to actually have him pressed close. Would he burn her?

'Hey, Koga...'

Fists balled by his sides, the moonlight cast dark shadows across under his collar bone and the taut muscle of his throat. With a start, she hastily destroyed the thought of what his chest might look like bare. She had seen Koga naked before, she realized suddenly. But it of course had all been on accident. For some reason his fellow brothers though it would be funny to pants him in front of her, as if she would find it amusing. She had made her disgust openly clear, turning away and burying her head in Shippo's trembling body.

Shaking her head clear, she rubbed her eyes and proceeded to wring her hands in front of her chest, biting her lip. Why did she feel so awkward? She'd talked to Koga many times, she'd heard him fight with Inuyasha, and she'd also heard him profess his love for her….so why was she acting so girly?

'Kagome…'

Why was he saying her name so tenderly? Koga wasn't the one for fond, affectionate antics. He was usually loud, boisterous, and in the constant process of inflating his ego.

'Kagome?'

Maybe she'd be able to get back to the hut without any further discomfiture, it should be easy if—

Koga's hand was suddenly the dock upon which she rested her chin, firmly set there as he let his gaze wither her hope of escaping back to Inuyasha. Since when were his eyes so utterly blue and clear? Perhaps she had never really bothered to look. After all, he was always too busy arrogantly showing off to her—when would she even get the chance to see his face anyways? He was usually making good use of the shards in his legs to tornado back and forth.

'You seem flustered.' Koga whispered, lifting her chin higher. _Gosh, he smells fantastic. _Kagome thought, dazed.

Closing the last inches of distance between them, Koga wrapped a sun-soaked arm around her waist, gently sliding it down her thigh. His hand felt strangely warm, but in a good way. Like someone laying their hands across your red cheeks on a freezing winter's day.

_He's going to kiss me. _ Kagome whispered in her mind. Where was Inuyasha? Where the heck was he?

Instead of brushing her lips as he looked like he would do though, he went for the nape of her neck, breathing hot air below her ear and exhaling a sort of soft moan.

_No, no, no! _ Kagome screamed in her head, little alarm bells going off. Had she known this would happen, she would have never left the sanction of Lady Kaede's house. But this was not the case, and now the only thing she wished for was that she had not taken off her bra before going to sleep.

Standing erect, her nipples left tiny round creases against her school blouse, her small breasts creating supple valleys pressed against the leather of Koga's vest. Whether he saw this or not, he gave no indication and instead let Kagome feel that certain hardness against her inner thigh.

Suddenly, he broke the soft intimacy and kissed her, rough and hard as if she really were his. And with that, she pushed him away harshly, her skirt falling back down. Wiping her tremulous hand across her lips, she stomped her foot like a defiant child. 'Who do you think you are?' She hissed striking his chest with a shaky hand. It sent him back farther than he expected.

_That's right. _ Thought Koga, as he reached for her arms possessively. _ Being a priestess, Kagome has considerably more power than most hapless women I kiss. _

'Get away from me!' Kagome yelped, recoiling into a tree beside the dark trail. This in turn, turned out to be the best thing to do for right behind Koga, Inuyasha raced at them, reaching for his sword.

'Kagome!' Inuyasha yelled, unsheathing his Tetsusaiga and holding it against Koga's neck. Looking past him, Inuyasha gave Kagome a once over, seeing her glazed eyes and rumpled shirt. She looked as though she'd been dragged out of bed and molested!

'What did you do to her?' Inuyasha accused, golden eyes flashing angrily. 'You touched her, didn't you, you dirty bastard.'

Koga had quickly regained composure and now stood regarding Inuyasha with sort of a patronizing glare. 'And if I did, she didn't seem to mind so much until I kissed her.' He smirked, and flicked his fingers back and forth, an obvious sign of impatience.

Meanwhile, Kagome was still breathless. Her body burned something fierce with his touch, and without it, things proved to be ten times worse. But now, to her dismay, she found herself pondering over what it would feel like for Inuyasha to do the same to her. It was something she had always wanted, but instead of further injuring her dignity, she stopped herself short and wiped away the wetness Koga had left on her neck.

Koga turned cold immediately after this, and with a knowing salute, glanced back at Kagome and grinned. As he sprinted off, he yelled, 'At least I'm not leading her on and having sex with a corpse behind her back!'

'Damn bastard.' Inuyasha coughed over the last few words. Spitting at his feet, he placed the Tetsusaiga not all too gently back into it's holder.

There was a formidable silence as the dust cleared, and once it settled, the crickets began their chirping again, filling the night air with a natural sort of chaos.

'Did he…did he really kiss you?' Inuyasha asked, his silver hair blowing lightly in the wind. Kagome took a sharp inhale of oxygen and crossed her arms over her sore nipples, hard from prolonged contact. 'Sort of…I mean, he just kinda, laid it on me. I didn't even know what was happening.'

Inuyasha glanced sideways at her before coming closer to check for wounds. Taking her arms to check for bruises, she gasped when he did. It was then he saw it—the outline of desire lined below her neck. Blushing, he dropped her arms and started to walk away.

'Let's get back to sleep.'

With Kagome trailing behind him, Inuyasha brooded over what he had just saw, and the secret Koga had almost given away. Had Kagome…._liked _Koga touching her? How could she? It was impossible… There were countless times in which Kagome had relayed to Koga that she didn't want that kind of relationship with him. Maybe it was because he hadn't been there when Koga tried to kiss her. It wouldn't have happened if _he'd been there _to protect her.

Although, Inuyasha seethed, he was still angry at Kagome for sneaking out of the hut in the first place. She knew he wouldn't like that, but she did it anyways.

'Inu….yasha..?'

Not aware of his frustrated expression, he whipped his head to the side and snapped, 'What?'

Kagome drew back and slowed her pace. 'I just wanted to s-say…I didn't mean to. I m-mean to sneak out without telling you.'

Inuyasha's former anger melted away with her audible shivers, and he instantly felt bad. Without a word more, he swept her up in his arms and blew away the stray hairs on her forehead. 'Just don't do it again.' He whispered, peeking at her drowsy face.

'I…won't…' she breathed, before falling to sleep.

Inuyasha walked slowly, careful not to jostle her at all but also to have more time to study her face. She looked _so _much like Kikyo….so much…

Though, he couldn't bring himself to be near her in that way. She wouldn't understand.

An exasperated sigh left Inuyasha's body. He shouldn't be mad at her at all. She hadn't done anything, and things only happened because she'd been a stupid girl and he hadn't been there to stop her from doing stupid things. _Besides, _thought the flustered hanyou, _i've been doing things far worse …_

As if she had heard his very thoughts, Kagome stirred from her bed in his arms. Her face crinkling as if she were troubled.

A/N_; first fanfiction. Any Reviews are welcome. _


	2. More than a Choice

Sleepily opening her eyes, Kagome blinked at the few cords of sunlight that streamed through the thin slit under the bamboo flap at the door. Outside, she could hear Miroku and Sango bickering as per usual, along with the occasional yip from Shippo as he got too close to the fight.

Clasping her hands around the back of her neck she rubbed therapeutic circles below her hairline. The memory of last night was all but a hazy photo reel accompanied by the left over feeling of Koga's kiss. Which in the end she would ask about to Inuyasha, who she was sure would not be pleased about answering. Getting to her knees, Kagome reached for her trusty yellow knapsack to dig for toiletries. She had decided that since she rarely went back to her own time she might as well bring the fragrant necessities of the future to the feudal era. There was no harm in wanting to smell good. And though Inuyasha wrinkled his nose at the strong smell of coconut-lime, she knew he secretly liked it.

"Kagome-e-e!" Shippo chan sang, as he burst through the door. "Are you going to take a bath in the river?" Shippo placed his tiny hands on her knees and smiled at her , wiggling his tiny fox tail back and forth. Kagome returned his smile and nodded. "Yes I am, do you want to come with me?"

Between Sango and her, they didn't really mind that Shippo wanted to bathe with them instead of the boys. Despite wanting to be a powerful demon, Shippo still craved that attention only given by a mother, and they figured this was the closest thing. However, they still made him wash behind the rocks.

With an armful of supplies, she left the hut and waved to Miroku and Sango as she trekked down the trail to the river. Shippo said he was would meet up with her later, claiming that one of the village girls had offered to play with him. She'd only been too happy to agree he should go. It was cute having him around, but she did enjoy a refreshing dip without constantly censoring herself. Once she got to the river, she stripped and threw the dirty uniform on the large rock beside her. She'd wear the attire of a traditional miko until she washed them and let them dry.

Perfect for diving, Kagome stepped daintily onto the outcrop of a rock that hung gloomily over the bright river. There was a hesitation before she dived-but one of a premonition of bad things to come. She ignored this. The mind of a priestess was never at rest, always thinking of the worst to happen. Everyone would be better off not listening to it.

-XxX-

It was a bit shocking, the iciness. But after swimming, submerged in it's cold embrace she became use to it. Bringing herself to a sitting position at the bottom, she tread water, watching the blurry beams of light crack the surface and stream down like banners at a parade.

Parade. _Home. _

To be honest, she had never minded being away from her family so much. The monk, and demon slayer—they made up for that in the absence of little brother sota. And Lady Kaede was the equivalent of a mother in her eyes.

Threading her fingers through the silken fluid around her, little bubbles formed and wiggled in their molecular like fashion upward towards the sun. It was so quiet down here, but not in an uncomfortable type of way.

In the instant she thought that, the water turned warm, inviting to the skin. She lazily looked to the side, her raven black hair billowing out in a cloud over her. It was no longer like she was underwater, but as if she'd been dipped in a clear cup of concentrated sunshine. She might as well have been being bewitched, but who cared? If she was eaten or attacked now, she was a goner. That was all worried thinking, though. The problem was, she didn't mind.

'Kagome.' A voice whispered, clear as day. It was a mild voice, masculine and youthful.

He showed himself then, but immediately hid his face beside hers, speaking calmly into her ear while lightly hold her arm. It was an intimate stance, one a lover might execute on his significant other.

'My name is Liam.' He spoke, a smile in his tone.

'Are you a demon?' Kagome questioned, tipping her head to the side. It wasn't a habit, but she could feel his lips so close to her neck, arching it towards him only said she wouldn't mind if he got closer. At the same time she felt ashamed. Most of her friends thought she was all over soaked in innocence, and that her sex drive was close to nothing.

'If you want me to be.' Liam laughed, dragging a single finger down the curve of her waist.

'i…'

'Listen.' Liam announced, flipping around her and holding her gently from behind. 'You seem to have a dilemma.'

'What?' Kagome's brows furrowed as she attempted to turn and look at his face.

She was instantly corrected, when a finger pushed her chin forward again.

'You have two lovers that are not being faithful.'

Kagome blinked slowly, holding her arms across her bare breasts. 'How do you know this?'

'Let's call it an love-seeing knowledge.' He laughed to himself, twirling fingers through her hair. 'But I can offer you a way out.'

Kagome was silent for a moment, mulling over the fact that one shouldn't trust a demon, much less make a deal with one with this knowledge in mind. However, she'd had her suspicions about Inuyasha and Koga—the two lovers that Liam had mentioned. It had to be them.

'Unfaithful? Well I—" Kagome stopped short of herself and whipped her head to the side. "In order to be lovers it requires I love them back. I never said I loved them." She murmured defensively.

"Oh?" was Liam's reply. He reached a lissome hand around her neck and placed it above her breasts and whispering into her ear he said, "We'll see about that.' And with that his hand was disappearing, disappearing into her chest, melting into her skin.

"stop that!" Kagome screamed, clawing at his arm. "That hurts!" To her, it felt as if someone had deliberately pressed the bottom of a scorching pan against her chest, letting it sit there and flake her skin away. The pain was nearly unbearable. What was he doing to her?

With a pair of cool lips against her neck, he spoke "Relief." And the pain vanished completely, leaving her limp and weak in his arms.

"You love both of them." Liam laughed, too much cheer in his voice. "But you're torn because you love Inuyasha more." Liam removed his arm only to move it up towards her chin to stroke the side of her face and down her waist, ready to stroke such other delicate places.

"Yet Inuyasha does not return your love, and pines for another Priestess." He paused.

"Part of you?" He seemed to give this consideration, and she could feel him searching through the closed depths of her heart. "No." he gasped, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "You are a part of _her." _Liam drew his perverse hand away from her nether region and shook her shoulders in amusement. "This is all too interesting."

Kagome, who had began to cry, clutched the part of her chest where he had so deeply violated her. She wasn't mad at him, not as much as she had been. She was mad that it was _true. _Every bit of what he had spoken was true. She _did _love Inuyasha more than Koga, but after he refused to return her feelings, she leaned more towards Koga who was relentless and passionate with love for her.

"But!" Liam chirped, answering her thoughts, "As I said earlier, they are both horribly unfaithful."

"So." Kagome hiccupped, knowing very well there was a discomforting sort of darkness rising in her soul, "What can you do to help me?"


	3. Chapter 3

Liam was all too happy about her sudden resolve, claiming that he was sure it would have taken longer to win her over. In her defense, she had retorted that he hadn't 'won her over' but that she was merely curious and probably would have sought a demon out sooner or later hoping for some kind of preposition.

The deal was easy—she would give up all her memories and cease to remember anything about Koga or Inuyasha. She could stay in the feudal era and forge a new life with the proper essentials that Liam would provide. But knowing a demon, there was a catch. A catch that Liam avoided with an unremitting wit about him.

"Why do _you _care?" he prodded, sniffing indignantly. "I can come fetch you whenever you like, and erase your memory again."

"What about Koga and Inuyasha? They'll remember me, right?" The coldness of the water was returning, Liam was nearing the grand finale of his deal, giving her less and less time for questions.

"You still care for those dogs of stupid? Darling Kagome, they'll remember you for as long as you live and after, stuck with your sweet face plastered in their mind." He chuckled. "Isn't that the best sort of revenge? You should be ecstatic."

The space around her was no longer warm. She was becoming short on breath, taking good measure of her surroundings. The sun beams from earlier reappeared. "But will they recognize me? If they see me?"

Liam revealed himself, hovering before her bathed in the dark blue of river water. Streaks of light cut across the toned muscles of his chest like rough scars. He was beautiful in all aspects of a man, but she knew better than to look at just the surface of any hell-bent creature. However, she did not tear her gaze away from his, her eyes honed in on two silvery green irises instead.

_Wildly green. _She thought.

"Kagome, when it comes to the best way of taking revenge, what better way to exploit yourself as something your former lover cannot have? And someone that doesn't remember them, of course. "

Soundlessly moving through the water, he was next to her in moments, smiling cruelly into her face. "Are you ready, Kagome?"

xXx

That cold feeling …like ice cubes melting down her legs, across her arms, sitting, piling at her neck. Was she losing air? Or simply taking too much of it? Her chest felt bloated and large, as if a sponge had been set in place to expand inside her, pop her from the inside out. Where was she? She couldn't a remember a thing, not why she was, where she was…_wherever that was. _Or if she was alive….if this is what being alive felt like. There was that wild green that kept streaking through her mind behind all of the coldness, a wild green that kept resurfacing, tugging at her fingers, her toes, the soft flesh of her thighs.

There was something that needed to be recalled to memory, but as much as she tried to reach into the caves of her soul, there was something there to prick her fingers and force her back. _Whatever. _She thought childishly, withdrawing back to a certain realm of consciousness.

"Kagome…?"

It was a child's voice. Somewhere she knew this child wouldn't hurt her.

"Kagome!" But that one…was more rough. It was laced with fear and anger, resentment, rage. She needed to wake up, she needed to get away from that voice. It didn't matter where she went, or in what state she was when she did, she just needed to escape the brutality of that single voice.

"Kagome! Shippo? What happened to her? What the _Hell _happened to her?"

Wild Green, Resentment.

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, making a mental check that she was, indeed, mobile and could move quickly if she needed to. She was naked, something she knew from the beginning but as long as the didn't hinder her from making a quick escape she would be fine.

"Shippo, did you see what happened to her? Why is she cut?" The man was leaning down over her, cupping her face in a hand that normally would feel soft yet only made her all the more scared.

"I d-didn't Inuyasha! I told her I would meet her down here, and when I came she was floating in the shallows with a bunch of b-b-blood around her!"

"I don't smell any demons, what the hell got to her?"

Kagome flitted open her eyes, moving awkwardly below this 'Inuyasha's' arms. He looked down at her in surprise, his maple-yellow colored eyes shimmering slightly with oncoming tears. "What happened, Kagome?" He kissed her forehead lightly, while again, cupping the side of her face. "Are you in pain? C'mon Kagome, say something to me…" Whoever this man was, and however affected he seemed by her current state, something inside her was telling her to run from him.

Inching up to a sitting position, she ignored the taut pressure of the cut on her chest stretching. "I….i…" she was having significant trouble forming coherent words, as if she were mute.

"Shippo, go get Kaede!" Inuyasha choked, his voice cracking. He had began to strip of the red robe that clothed him. " Dammit, Kagome, talk to me!"

When he reached down to place the robe across her, she scrambled up, stumbling backwards into the sharp edge of a rock behind her. The only sign she gave that it hurt, was a flinch that Inuyasha did not miss at all. "Kagome, don't do this." He took a cautious step towards her, searching her face for some sort of emotion and failing in the end. "You don't remember me…" he whispered, almost to himself at first.

Kagome slid along the rock, the hard surface scraping the skin straight off her shoulder blades. She could see the road to a forest to her side, across the rocky beach next to the river and up a slight incline. She could, if she was fast, grab the man's robe and make a dash for the road. But something about this man seemed off, and without a doubt she sensed he would be able to run fast. _ Very _fast. "I…..i…g-get.." It was in her head, all the words she wanted to say, but the path to her lips seemed to be a long treacherous one.

"Hey, Let's slow down here." 'inuyasha' said, the tone in his voice changing. "You're obviously a little shaken up here, so just sit down and let me go get Sango and Kaede." He backed up, palms out and up. "Can you do that? Can you stay here for a couple minutes?"

Kagome's lip quivered. She didn't want to be here anymore, she didn't want to be so exposed around this person that she hardly knew. Why was this happening to her? He seemed to recognize her, but she didn't recognize him. Had he drugged and raped her? She kneeled, covering the nakedness with two arms.

"Good girl." Inuyasha said softly, backing up. "Just stay. Okay?" It was in the seconds that he began to turn around that Kagome snatched his robe, swung it around her shoulders and sprinted towards the forest. Her legs felt unbelievably strong, but she knew at any moment they would give out and be no help at all.

"Kagome!" The man was bellowing. She could hear his footsteps behind her, getting closer and closer. "Kagome, stop!" Her breathing was instantly ragged, she had knowingly overestimated her strength and stamina but at this point she didn't care. She had to get away.

"Kagome! I don't want to hurt you, stop running!"

_Help. _Kagome was screaming inside her head, tears streaming down her face. _ Help. _ She didn't know who she was asking, just that she couldn't possibly get away without someone else's aid. It'd only been seconds ago that she'd started running, and in that time she had miraculously put a fair amount of distance between the man chasing her. However, she couldn't do this on her own.

She Couldn't.

_Darling Kagome. Already in trouble? You silly girl, you're lucky you have me. _

Liam. Who was that? The name seemed familiar upon her lips.

_That's right. You remember. But you won't. Just don't get into any more sticky situations. _

That was the last thing she heard before being whipped up in a cloud of dust, and she was flying, flying through the sky, unconscious and cold.

_Inuyasha. Who are you?_

_**A/N; since i don't actually know if anyone is reading this, i'll keep posting chapters. I realize though that each chapter is sort of short. (To me) So i'm going to try to make them longer. **  
_


	4. Chapter Three Pt 2

There were birds tweeting somewhere, somewhere above her head. Kagome opened her eyes slowly, her eyelashes fluttering delicately against the bright sunlight. Honestly, she didn't care where she was, she just wanted the extreme pain in her chest to stop. She had felt it in her dreams, the burning hot sensation, as if her skin was being lacerated and stripped from her breasts, down to her stomach.

What was the wet, liquid-y feeling? Slowly raising her hand (that felt as if stone were strapped to her wrist) she dragged a single finger from her collar bone up to her lips where she tasted whatever she was soaked in.

Blood.

It was hers. Why was she bleeding? She hadn't been bleeding when she was running from that terrible man. Had he caught and hurt her? No, he hadn't. The last thing she remembered was being swept up in a mist of dust and leaves and rock, whirling through the clouds. So the strange white-haired man hadn't caught her. But now she was faced with an entirely new, but old problem. She still didn't know where she was, or why she was without clothing.

Not entirely without clothing now though, she still had 'Inuyasha's' fire-rat robe hanging off her arms, splayed like a bright rose-petal around her body. She refused to admit it openly, but deep down she enjoyed the almost orange-ey scent that emanated from the article of clothing, particularly the collar.

She still thought the one who wore it was a beast though. Truly, he'd done nothing un-gentlemanly like to her while she was awake, and didn't seem to have done anything before she was awake when she was…wherever she was. But this cut, this thick slice that was leaking blood like dripping water tap—where had she gotten it? She didn't feel all too bad now, but broken faucet drops add up in the end. With a groan, Kagome sat up stiffly, the dried blood on her shoulders and collar bone flaking and falling to the ground beside her.

It was a meadow, a meadow extremely abundant with orange and white lilies, teeming with grasshoppers and bumblebees. She was definitely out of place amongst all this beauty, ratty and covered in blood, she didn't even know how long she been here. Long enough to make a body-shaped dent among the flowers.

"I'm scared." Kagome said to herself, rolling to her side, then to her knees. She stood awkwardly, her feet unsure about the weight they usually carried. Wrapping the cool red fabric around her shoulders, she looped several lily stems together and tied them loosely around her waist, holding the robe against the slender slant of her hips. She could tell right off that it did not flatter her figure, and that very thought brought a shameful blush to her cheeks.

_ How can I even be thinking about that a time like this? _ She hissed at herself silently.

She sighed heavily, looking around her with weary eyes. She didn't know where she was going, but she'd figure out soon enough.

xXx

"Would you like some fried fish, miss?"

The small boy held a browned river fish wrapped in paper towards her happily, his attire told Kagome he was poor, but he had good manners and had a certain sort of elegant air about him as if he practiced it nightly.

"I don't have any money, I'm sorry." Kagome answered, pushing her hand out ready to walk away.

"Oh, this is free!" The little boy smiled, nudging her hand with the fish again. "Papa saw you at the market looking at all the vegetables and told me to find 'the fire-rat girl' and give her some food." He nodded to himself an continued. "You must be some sort of special, Papa is very reserved and doesn't normally do stuff like this. Take it!"

Kagome blinked twice in surprise, then put out her hands to receive the small gift. "Tell your father thank you, I appreciate his kindness."

"Oh, Papa already knows you're thankful. " he was smiling again, that big bright smile. And with that he skipped away, leaving her amongst the many people strolling around with their children in the small town she had come upon. It took her no time to forget about the old-man's kindness, she was overcome with hunger and chewed the fish gratefully. She was barefoot, and looked an awful lot like a pretty beggar, walking gracefully past street vendors and many huts filled and streaming with the smells of cooked meat and rice. She was slightly boggled by many of the peasant's kindness towards her, after the boy with the fish, many other small children had stopped to give her sweets and other types of food.

"Nice village." Kagome said out loud, sucking on a lozenge that tasted like mint and the pot it was cooked in. "Everyone's so simple and generous."

But it was as though her words were unwholesome bad luck, for right as she spoke the words into the air, there were screams and shrieks of women and their children as they ran past her in a frenzy. Vendors closed their windows with frightened faces, men gathered their trinkets they sold roadside and ran for the nearest open door. Kagome was left alone in a street that seconds ago had been filled with happy smiling faces.

"Hello?" she voiced, tapping on the twine curtains of houses. No one answered.

In the distance she could hear the howls and yips of many dogs coming towards her from over the hill at the edge of the village. They appeared in an instant, rearing their ferocious faces. It was a pack of wolves, a pack of wolves being followed by a giant tornado. What were her chances, being in two situations of severe danger. The villagers obviously knew something she didn't, which would explain the vacated streets and ghostly silent wind that swept sticks and pieces of paper through.

"I smell you, mutt! Where are you? Leave before I let my wolves feast on you too!"

_ Feast? _ Kagome yelped, dropping the numerous foods she had accumulated. _I don't want to be dog-food! _

And yet she stood frozen out of fright in the middle of the street, a pile of smells and scents at her feet to attract the attention of a dozen blood-thirsty dogs. Not to mention that she actually _had _blood on her.

The tornado was getting closer and closer, she could even feel the wind starting to whip up against her face. Fine, if this is how she died, then so be it. Who cared? Certainly not her. At least she wouldn't have this ugly stinging wound stretched across her pale chest.

It was here.

xxx

She was a statue, poised in the middle of the street. Only able to watch as the tornado slowed and a man appeared from the middle, fists clamped shut, dark hair swinging in a slim pony-tail behind him.

"Brave girl, are we now-…" He stopped, taking a few strides towards her to get a closer look.

"Kagome?" he questioned, grabbing her shoulders. "What the heck are you doing way out here? And in That _mutt's _dirty stinking clothes? No wonder I didn't recognize your smell, it was smothered." He reached out a olive-toned hand to caress her cheek. "Were you out looking for me?" he grinned. "For another kiss?"

Kagome's teeth began to chatter behind her lips, her fingers following in suit with a visible tremble. "Who…who are you?"

"Oh, playing a game are we? I think this is the first time you've ever been so flirtatious with me Kagome." The Tornado man laughed evilly, giving her a look that could only be described as lustful. "My name is Koga." he sped around her and gave a playful lick to her ear. "What's next?"

"N-nothing!" Kagome blurted, managing to fall forward and scramble away. " I s-said, who are you? I don't know you!" She was starting to cry. "How do you know my n-name?"

He appeared to get the message—that she didn't know him. And walked around her to see her face again. "What happened Kagome?" he face was laced with worry. "I leave for one day and you get amnesia? What? Did Inuyasha hurt you?"

There it was, that name. That Dog. They were both dogs. They were together, they had to be.

"Get away from me!" She was screaming, clawing at his shoulders when he came forward to hold her. He was crushing her, hurting her. He wanted to hurt her, just like that Inuyasha did.

"You want to hurt me, just llike he did! Just like that dog, he raped me I swear he did. I won't let you do the same to me! Get away from me!" She could feel an unnatural sort of strength coursing through her veins, it was deep and fiery.

"Inuyasha raped you?" he peeled away from her, his face creased with a fury she had never seen before. "that dirty, rotten…"

Kagome propelled him away, a strange purple beam crackling and streaming out from her palm, colliding with the wolf Koga's chest. But it was an override of power, and it began to leak from her chest along with miniature rivers of blood streaming down her legs and puddling between her toes. "What's wrong with me?" she cried, pointing at Koga's confused face. "What did you and that other dog do to me?"

She turned and ran, stumbling and coughing up more and more liquid.

_I'm going to die. _She told herself as she ran, tripping over logs and roots.

_I'm going to die a terrible death all alone with no one there to comfort me._

The last thing she remembered was flailing, tumbling down a small hill and landing in a copse of thorny bushes. It was still daylight, and the saw the tip of a silver sword next to two black shoes standing next to her head.

Whoever it was, it was going to kill her.


	5. Sanction

It was faint, like peppermint and cinnamon, or some other light spice aroma. It was everywhere around her, permeating her senses. Kagome Higurashi was also aware of the comforting coolness on her chest. It sort of felt like someone had slathered Vick's VapoRub over her throat and chest and let it sit there for hours.

Wait, wasn't she suppose to be dead? Yes, she was. Before she had wiped herself out at the bottom of that hill, she had been gushing blood like a damn river and radiating an odd purple light. What was that light anyways? She'd never seen anything like it before, and from her perspective it nearly outshined the sun in brilliance. So she had her answer, either she was dead and had gone to heaven, or she was still on earth and somewhere…safer than where she'd been. She was positive she wasn't in hell…yet.

"unnn-…' she mumbled, trying to open her eyes. But the simple action sapped her of significant strength. It also sent slivers of pain deep into every inch of her flesh. So she wasn't in heaven. She was still on earth, possibly at the bottom of that hill still.

_I'm probably paralyzed. _ She joked with herself in an aggravated manner.

What about that sword, though? And those shoes? They had definitely been there. She hadn't been dreaming or hallucinating.

"Master! Master! She's waking up!" a voice squealed in a high scratchy voice. It surprised her, to say the least. Sent her springing upwards and out, staggering out across what felt like sharp pointy rocks. It was then that she realized the sharp pointy rocks were alive and moving.

"What…what…." She rasped, finding out the reason she couldn't see was because she had a bandage wrapped around her head. What kind of cruel world was this when it was constantly trying to put her in harm's way? The uneven ground below her shifted and grunted, almost like the trumpet of an elephant except with a more reptile ferociousness.

"Oh my God." Kagome squeaked, freezing where she was, arms straight out for balance. "I'm on a snake. A huge squirming snake."

"Lady Kagome! Lady Kagome, please sit down! Please sit down!" She could feel the body that matched this voice running circles around her wobbly legs. "Oh dear, oh dear! Please sit down!"

"I can't sit down!" she cracked, teetering to the side. "Where's the end of this bandage? I can't see anything!" she proceeded to unwrap the cloth from around her head, which as it was, turned into a huge mistake as Kagome lost her balance and was falling.

Falling quickly through the air with yards of cloth following her in her wake.

xXx

"Master Sesshoumaru!"

Who _was this Sesshoumaru guy? And why was he so mighty to be called Master?_ This was the only thing Kagome pondered as she sped towards her ultimate doom. She decided without a second thought that if anything could get worse than this, she would take her own life. Why this could possibly be happening to her was beyond her knowledge. Wherever she was falling to, however, made large waterfall-like sounds. She could hear the crash and tumble of water over rocks from where she was.

Reaching her arms around her head stiffly, she removed the last of that annoying head bandage only to wish she'd left it on. Things are a lot more frightening when you can see them for yourself. Below her was what she had heard—a waterfall. But now she saw the sharp edifices of rock jutting out from the earth like fangs.

"Stupid human." Said a low voice as she was swept upward so fast it gave her whiplash. She immediately gripped onto whatever had saved her, burying her head in the scent from only moments ago. Peppermint and cinnamon. The scent instantly cooled her lungs and made her feel unnaturally at ease.

Almost drunk.

Tipping her head upwards, she met eyes with a familiar gold, curtained by a familiar silver. But this male looked universally different from the White Dog. He lacked the ears and replaced them altogether with a…feral grace. If that even made sense. Ringing her arms around his neck, she pressed herself to him tightly, whimpering for safety into his neck. She didn't know who this guy was, or why he continued to save her after making it apparent that he thought she was stupid.

But he felt safe, he _was_ safe. He wouldn't hurt her.

xXx

Kagome figured out what she had been riding on before she'd fallen off. It was a giant two-headed dragon…flying through the sky. The high, scratchy voice that had scared her so, belonged to an ugly green demon who was only as tall as her knees.

"You naïve girl! I told you to sit down!" he chirped at her, waving a weird two headed stick in her face. "I told you to si-" his 'master', Sesshoumaru, the one who had saved her brought a heavy foot down on top of the noisy demon's head with a strict "Quiet, Jaken."

"Y-yes…master…"

Turning to her slowly, Sesshoumaru studied her with a single studious once-over. "You have a strange aura about you, human." He took out his sword—the one she recognized from before she passed out. "One that is unlike your usual one."

"W-what's the sword for?" Kagome stuttered, scooting back against the dragons' neck. "I tried cutting through it with My Tensaiga." He gave a disapproving snort. " It did not work."

"W-well, maybe it doesn't need to be cut through! And who are you anyways, talking about my aura not being normal."

"You are a pries…" Sesshoumaru stopped, put his sword back in it's sheath and stared at her menacingly. "A human should not have such a demonic aura about her. Having you been mingling with the likes demons such as I?"

Kagome was not surprised to hear him say he was a demon. She knew this from the start what with him shooting all over the sky and being able to fly. But what had taken her aback was the fact that he said _she _had a demonic aura. "But I'm not a demon." She whispered, somehow on the verge of tears. "Oh why is everything falling apart?" she curled up into herself and began to dry heave, her body was sore again.

"Do you not remember who you are?" Sesshoumaru asked, unfazed by her femininity.

"No, I just woke up and everyone's been chasing and touching me and knowing my name!"

There was a pause, where she could hear the breathing of the dragon and the whistle of the wind filling her ears. Through the opening in her robe, she could see bandages around her chest and neck, as well as on her left leg and around her wrist that the light had shot through.

"You helped m-…" Sesshoumaru cut her off and said, "I came when I felt an abnormal switch in the air, a surge of power that was strong and unyielding. Had Jaken not bandaged your chest and given you the proper medicines, you would have exploded."

Kagome blinked, sniffing back more tears. "Why did you help me in the first place?" she snapped, returning the demon's cold attitude. "If I'm so stupid to you, why did you choose to save me?"

"I can steal your power." He told her plainly, silver hair whipping around his face.

"So why don't you do it then?" she coughed, failing at hiding her fear. "Just do it and kill me."

Turning to Jake, he whispered something to which the demon nodded and replied equally quiet. He then walked smoothly without faltering towards her and hauled her up by her shoulders, making her wince and cry out in pain. "I would have, girl. Except it requires you be healthy and not only this, I need to wield my sword and make it stronger." He squeezed her shoulders tighter. "Your lack of control permits this power to seep out of you at all times, even as I hold you, your power is trickling through my fingertips."

Letting go of her roughly, he shook his wrists as if coming in contact with her was a disgusting act in itself. "Mind you, I could have taken your power through intimacy." He leapt off the dragon and hovered for seconds before her.

"But I'm not one for mindless rape, and lets hope it never comes to that."

xXx

"You should heed Lord Sesshoumaru's instructions." The demon named Jaken told her.

"He didn't even _give _me any instructions." Kagome answered angrily. "Just who does he think he is? Threatening me with rape? I'm pretty sure that's already happened."

"Silly girl." Jaken harrumphed, shaking his knobby head. "You were not raped, and there were _implied_ instructions." He bonked her on the head with his staff and glared at her condescendingly. " They were to stay here and not do anything…well…_stupid."_

"Well what's this _Lord Sesshoumaru _going to do to me if I don't follow his _stupid _rules?"

"You best not want to find out!" Jaken warned, yellow eyes bulging clear out of their sockets. "My Lord is ruthless when he must be!"

Kagome turned towards the dragon, Ah-Un, as Jaken had called him, and laid herself vertically up one the two necks. It was rough and scaly, but the dragon's movements were soft and fluid, very majestic. Figuring that she'd probably be killed once Sesshoumaru obtained what he wanted, she let herself laze around as the loyal Ah-Un followed the frigid demon who flew in front of it. Sighing to herself tiredly, she watched the demon's silver mane whip around him like millions of shimmering snakes. He reminded her of a male medusa, except far more reserved and handsome.

He was, indeed, handsome, and despite her current condition and enslavement she admired his form from afar. Somewhere inside her though, she felt the waves of change rippling her being. She was no longer who she had been before she had woken up bloody and mangled on the river shore, because she truly did believe she had been someone completely different before that.

But less and less did Kagome care about who she had been, and more about who she was now. She stopped worrying about the voice that seemed to whisper malicious thoughts in the back of her mind, and was beginning to feel….at ease.

Perhaps it was this Sesshoumaru man, when he caught her as she fell, despite calling her a stupid human, there was a bizarre hint of gentleness in his voice, not of pity, but of something entirely different. Playing with Ah-un's ears, Kagome sigh once more and basked in the sweet memory of peppermint.

Peppermint and cinnamon….

Peppermint and cinnamon….

_Peppermint and cinna-…._


	6. Chapter 5

When Kagome woke up, Ah-un had landed, and she was still sleeping on it's neck comfortably. It's lungfuls of breath rose with her own body, and kept lulling her into tiny naps. It was nighttime, and she didn't know how long she'd been asleep, hours, or maybe even into the next day. Her wounds were healing, she could feel thick scabs forming over them, no doubt leaving nasty scars.

Next to her, there was a fire crackling where Jaken added small twigs and leaves that blew away, to his dismay in the faint breeze. Sniffling and wrinkling her nose, she slid off of Ah-Un and walked with a limp towards the failing flame. "Do you need help?" She asked, kneeling beside him to poke the fire with a stick.

"I do not need such help from a human!" he exclaimed, visibly irritated. He blasted the fire with the staff he held, which sprung up for a couple moments then died away quickly.

"Put more kindling, down there." She gathered handfuls of thin twigs and put them at the heart of the fire, then added some larger branches and pieces of logs on top. "See? The little pieces of wood kind of keep the fire going till it starts burning through the bigger pieces."

Jaken looked mildly pleased by the warmth but looked away from her, crossing his arms. "For now." He yipped, holding his palms up to warm them.

From out of the darkness, Sesshoumaru landed gently on the ground, his hair billowing out across his shoulders and settling onto his back. In his hand he held a string of fish of which he flung to her feet and said bluntly, "Food."

"Are you going to eat some?" She asked him, picking it up and setting it across the pan that Jake was holding.

"No." he said, walking towards Ah-Un. He stroked it's ears and sat to lean against it's monstrous feet. "It's for Jaken and you." He positioned himself so he could see the nighttime sky of stars, and proceeded to gaze at them blankly.

xXx

It was well after she had finished eating and Jaken had gone to sleep, when Kagome moved towards the darker parts of the woods to see the stars better. She was still wearing the ratty red robe, and the lilies hung lifelessly through the loops at her waist. Sesshoumaru was sleeping, his eyes closed, purple moon on his pale forehead hidden a mass of silver bangs. He looked slightly angry, his eyebrows furrowed and set like that. Though his lips were parted in a gentle fashion, thin, but colored a mellow pink. Kagome wondered what he was thinking...or, rather, dreaming. What did beings such as him dream about? Killing things seemed a bit too brutal for Sesshoumaru, even if he did act cold and heartless.

Turning back to herself, she unlooped the lilies and dropped them to the ground, as well as the robe. She could hear a river nearby, and although the thought of it scared her, she headed in its direction anyways, her slender body glowing in the frosting-white moonlight. It wasn't silent in the forest, crickets and bullfrogs sang their nightly lullabies to her in hushed tones, chanting songs about the day they never saw. It was actually a bit sad, she thought despondently, rubbing her shoulder. Nearing the river, Kagome made her way through brambles and ground-shrubbery spotted across the cool earth until she felt her toes meet the grainy sand of a beach. Giving one last worried look back into the forest, she gave a running start towards the water and dived into it's black waters.

It wasn't warm. It wasn't warm at all. In fact, the sheer frigidness made her gasp underwater in shock, and swim to the surface in a frantic mess of hands and bubbles.

"hhyykk!" Kagome broke the surface and choked up water. She wasn't scared as much as she was surprised to have swallowed more than she thought. _Whatever. _she coughed, wiping her nose. _What's new? _It was true, what _was _new? She was living an absolute nightmare, running around like an idiot spewing blood like the wound of a slain beast.

_Nice little surprise._

Kagome whirled around, creating a noisy wake with her quick movements. "Who…Who's there?"

She peered at the dark water, squinting her eyes at the slate of sinister glass before her. It was just a bubble at first, and then a few tiny waves in the water. A head appeared, followed by dark-lashed eyes and a pretty-sloped nose. She remembered him, right then, his name was Lee…Lin..Liam! What confused her is why she knew who he was, but not how she had met him.

"You are doing _just fine." _ He cooed, striding towards her cattishly. "A few big scratches."

"I don't know why I know you, but you told me you wouldn't let anything bad happen to me."

"I did not." Liam huffed, "I told you I'd give you what you need to make it."

"Oh, great _job!_" Kagome wheezed, jabbing her finger in his face. "I'm doing just fine, being pursued by freaky males!"

This caused Liam a great deal of pain—by laughter. He doubled over and wiped tears from his eyes. "You have your handsome Sesshoumaru, honey." He spat, suddenly angered. "isn't that enough for you?"

Kagome shut up, locking her gaze at his feet.

"If I had it my way, I'd take you for my own." Liam inhaled sharply, reaching out a hand to stroke the side of her small breast. "Right here…." Finger beginning to trail down to her belly button. "Right _now. "_ That was it, his peculiarly hot lips pressed upon hers, large hands, limber body wrapped around her. She was in the water, sinking, sinking to the bottom, sinking into his kiss. It was horrifying…pleasurably..breathtaking.

Quite Literally.

Whilst his tongue fought against her livid one, she was also struggling to breath, being under water and all. Liam was beautiful, ravishing and vicious. She knew she shouldn't, but she was burning for more, if only he would just press a little closer, hold her harder. _B-bite me..._Kagome thought heatedly, and he did. Her lip, so hard that she was sure there would be a tiny scar. Kagome was extremely aware of the fact that he didn't truly want her, he could throw her away at any single second. But she didn't care, especially not when he held a hand over her mouth and painted kisses down her neck, down her chest to drag a warm tongue over-

It was over. She was being hauled out of the water, coughing and sputtering by Sesshoumaru, who did not look pleased with her condition at all. "What." He breathed heavily, "Do you think you were doing?"

Kagome teetered forward and leaned into him, her body weak. She felt bruises on her wrists and thighs, from Liam no doubt. At this point, she didn't care that Sesshoumaru didn't want her up close and personal with him, she took the moment and buried her face into his neck, slipping her arms behind his outer clothing and around his broad, muscular back. " Why…" She hiccupped. "Do weird things keep happening to me?" She let a sob bubble up and escape into his hair. "I'm not someone I…recognize."

Sesshoumaru stayed completely still throughout the entire melt-down, staring down at her raven head lifelessly. "Stay away from water, girl." He told her, pulling her away by her hair. "Away from rivers, waterfalls, ponds." He pushed the lavender colored part of his shirt towards her face and wiped away dirt. When the cloth disappeared he was staring forebodingly into the deepest part of the river, the fingertips of his left hand crackling with a venomous green light. Still within a staring war with the water he said, "You'll be better off. Jaken will bring you water to bathe."

Kagome wiped her nose again, her cheeks burning a bright shade of red in the presence of Sesshoumaru. She was naked, naked and stupid in front of something so beautiful.

Unable to do anything else, Kagome nodded and sucked a wobbling sob back into her throat.


	7. Chapter 6

Moaning in agony, Koga sat up holding a bloody hand to a bruised throat. "What the…" he started, but trailed off when the extreme pain in his forehead exploded into a million little streamers of light.

That had definitely been Kagome, same beautiful, concerned eyes, same hair, same creamy skin always hidden beneath clothes….

But what had she been doing? Miles away from that hag Kaede and her loyal puppy dog? Not only this, but she'd been wearing that mutt's _clothes. _ She had seemed a little out of it as well, her lips dry and feet caked with mud and dirt. And then she'd…shot him. But not in the way that she usually did when she was mad at him, she full on called out her priestess powers and forced him to the ground.

When the stream of light stopped, though, she was bleeding profusely and leaking what appeared to be clumps of lavender sunlight that sizzled at her feet. Koga blinked and stood up, growling in pain as he went. Looking towards the forest he saw the dirty blotches of crimson trickled in a jagged line all the way until the trees. "Kagome!" he bellowed, sprinting along the trail of blood.

He skid to a stop at the drop, a long incline that drove a steep, rocky death to the end where a strip of sticker bushes guarded the entrance to the forest dauntingly. He could plainly see where she had taken the fall and rolled down, there was a battered lily that lay crumpled against rocks. Koga had noticed them wrapped around her waist when he first saw her.

Hopping down without fear, Koga slid down the hill on his bare feet and came to a halt where a sticky puddle of half-dried blood lay, covered in a thin coat of dust. It was definitely where her mouth had been, meaning she was bleeding internally. "Kagome?" he called, listening to his voice echo.

She was gone. But not dead, he would have smelled it. Someone had come to get her, and the smell of this possibly rescuer was nowhere to be found. Whoever had taken Kagome had been very good about keeping his or her scent untraceable.

Sighing angrily, Koga remembered that Kagome told him she'd been raped by her Inuyasha, something Koga thought would never have happened but nonetheless waited for by himself. This was his chance to pursue the mutt in a deadly battle, kill him, and take Kagome for himself. However, there was a problem to his plans. Many demons nowadays had favored taking a body hostage and using it for its evil bidding, or even killing the human host and using the skin till it rotted. Dejectedly, Koga realized he'd have to come "in peace" to Inuyasha and question him. Despite his want to off the stupid dog already, he had an inkling that Inuyasha didn't really rape her, and that she was just under a spell.

"Damn." Koga whispered as he started towards Inuyasha's village. "Dammit all."

xXx

Inuyasha sat on the rickety fence in front of Lady Kaede's house with a forlorn expression hanging off his face. He was legitimately, overly, plain out depressed. For two days he hadn't seen Kagome, and the time to find her was growing thinner and thinner. It was bad enough she hadn't remembered him, but also that he couldn't locate her scent anywhere. Sighing, Inuyasha jumped down from the rotting wood and stood in the grass silently. He hadn't felt the motivation to do anything, to walk, to talk, even to eat. Sango and Miroku had been tracking him down trying to force food down his mouth—but with no avail. Inuyasha simply didn't feel like living without Kagome.

However, he was ashamed to say in the night of the first day he'd been so wrought with concern he'd hunted down Kikyo and made love to her in the forest. How could he so quickly blow Kagome off to seek out a dead lover? Kikyo was dirt and earth, a hollow vase with innocent souls to fill her cavernous body. But for whatever reason she gave him just as much pleasure as a real woman.

_Please, Inuyasha….please jus—_

Inuyasha grunted, tapping his fingers across the hilt of his sword. If he kept thinking about Kikyo like this he would eventually learn to forget Kagome altogether. Although, Kikyo could be just as….good?

_What do you want Kikyo? Tell me. _

His upperbody felt bare without the robe he had given Kagome.

_J-just stop inuyasha, a-ah…_

Inuyasha turned his head away, towards the trees and mountains in the distance. Her skin was just as smooth, her lips just as soft, and that sweet spot between her legs remained so….Inuyasha groaned inwardly, a certain aching spreading up his stomach and making him nauseous. He wanted to stop himself from remembering that night, to stop the passion that filled his brain like it was an empty jug on top of his shoulders.

But he couldn't. Oh, how he couldn't.

'_Inuyasha?' Kikyo's breathy voice filled his ears, whispered down his throat and heated his heart—something that as of late was always cold. _

_He moved gently against her in response, burying his face in her neck, holding his arms in a sort of triangle around her head. Her body was rich and luxurious against his own, and this only made him want to move all the more careful. She gasped at his deliberate movement, wrapping a leg around his calf and moving against him as well. Inuyasha, breathing hotly against her skin felt no need to move any faster than he already was, her simple reactions to all the small, ostensibly small, things that he did provided a sense of pure joy. _

'_Inuyasha…don't you think this is e-e-nou…' she trailed off as he gave a slightly harder thrust, groaning a bit as it had given him more lovely satisfaction than he had intended. Kikyo watched his face contort in unadulterated bliss, his mouth falling open in the slightest fraction. She shut up._

_Pulling out of her, Inuyasha bent down at her waist, bringing his face against the coarse triangle of hair blossoming….he licked her most private place with a short jab of his tongue. She arched her back, but made no noise. Looking one last time at her face, he slid a finger inside her and sucked on her with unhurried strokes of his tongue. She immediately tightened around his finger and placed a hand on top of his head lustfully. With a certain amount of force that told him she was close, she threaded her fingers through his hair and pressed down. _

_She came, so unapologetically and softly that Inuyasha sat in a daze as he watched her tremble._

_Gosh, she looked so much like Kagome._


	8. Chapter 7

Kagome woke with a start, flying upwards screaming into her hands. She was sobbing uncontrollably, her chest heaving with each breath, knees shaking from beneath Sesshoumaru's clothes. Jaken was beside her in moments, squawking at her in his strained voice, waving his arms around frenetically.

"What are you crying about?" he implored in a squeaky tone. "Oh please, stop your blubbering, you'll attract the attention of m'lord!" Right as the words left Jaken's mouth, Sesshoumaru came sailing down in front of her, his face twisted in displeasure. "What ails you?" he prompted, peeling his linens off of her legs. "Speak." He added, louder this time.

"I had a nightmare." She said.

Jaken scoffed, while Sesshoumaru observed her wilted,crying figure. "It seems that for you to be healthy, you must also be happy." He flipped his hair over his shoulder and glared at her accusingly. "You have a knack for subconsciously meddling with my more important affairs."

Kagome swallowed, wiping the tears away from the corners of her eyes. "Everyone needs to be happy to be healthy, you idiot." She snapped, right away knowing she had spoken out of term.

Sesshoumaru showed no emotion and instead said, "I am not in any desperate need of your power at the moment, but I would like it nonetheless. You will continue to be in Jaken's care until you are healthy enough for me to perform the transfer." He paused, considering his words. " Since Jaken is incapable of such deeds, you will tell me what necessities you are in need of."

Kagome blinked, frowning at this Youkai's stony concern. "I just want to know what's wrong with me." She mumbled, glancing at Jaken worriedly. "Why I can't seem to remember anything past three days ago."

"You were bewitched, human. You will probably never know who you were again." Sesshoumaru turned lightly on his heel, "No one is looking for you, trust me."

xXx

A week passed after Sesshoumaru had told her that, and in that time he had completely disappeared, returning only once with two kimonos for her. She stopped relying on Jaken for a source of food and heat, because he did not provide at all. Kagome ended up making all the meals, keeping all the fires going, and making sure big animals didn't eat him. The only good thing that he managed to do was bring her fresh water from the river and pour it in a crate that Ah-Un tipped back and forth over her head when she asked. It wasn't like Kagome wasn't happy…she was. Nothing had bothered her for a while, she was clean, she had food, and her wounds were turning into white scars stretched across her body.

She was…happy.

And once more, she was happy waiting for Sesshoumaru to return. To see him again. He was mean, and angry, with a dull attitude about everything, but he was beautiful. And when he'd thought she'd been asleep, he'd draped his shirts over her and blew away the mosquitoes buzzing around her head. Jaken didn't know this, but Sesshoumaru was undoubtedly kind.

"Kagome, can you make something with noodles tonight?" Jaken asked, poking her leg. "I know of a village I can travel to to get some supplies." He pointed to Ah-Un, "I'll leave them here with you in case anything frightening is wandering around."

Kagome caught the edge of his staff and bent down, "Can't I go with you Jaken?"

"It was affirmed by M'lord that you could not leave the camp." He pulled his staff away . "Stay here and keep Ah-Un company." And with that, he departed, leaving Kagome standing rejected in the middle of a meadow.

She didn't keep Ah-Un company.

Instead, she told_ them_ to stay and went for a walk. She'd be back before Jaken got back, she would make dinner, she would go to bed….and she would dream of Sesshoumaru. Something she replaced her nightmares with. The meadow she was in was not the same one she'd woken up in full of lilies. This one was a giant circle who's diameter was at least three miles across. Encircled by trees, the meadow was a perfect place to hide…or be trapped. Picking flowers as she went along, Kagome hummed a tune that she didn't know, one that was already there in her half-sleeping mind. Her shortness of memory no longer plagued her in a constant way, but was rather something she thought about in her spare time.

Which was not now. Right now, she admired the smooth silk of her kimono. This one was red with delicate yellow goldfish that swam through the hem of it gaily. Above them were tulip-pink cherry blossoms speckled around her legs and waist as if they had truly been blown there. When Sesshoumaru had plopped this one in her lap, she'd almost cried. He'd briskly walked away before her thanks, but she left flowers at his feet before he'd woken up the next morning. Of course he'd stepped over them, ignoring their beauty all together, but it was the thought that counted.

Broken from her daydreaming, from a couple yards away, something rustled in the grass and made it's way towards her, it didn't make any indicating noises that it would hurt her, so she called out to it. "Who's there?" It answered with a clear 'meow', and leapt through the last bit of grass to her feet.

It was a demon cat.

With big red eyes and a black diamond in the middle of it's forehead. It mewed at her again.

"Well who are you?" Kagome cooed, leaning over to pick it up. "You are positively adorable." Stroking it's ears, she talked to like it could understand her, telling it would had happened to her since she'd woken up at the river, and how now she was living with the most dazzling creature ever. "His name is Sesshoumaru." She said daydreamily, to which the small feline hissed a bit. "Oh, don't be bitter. Just because his true form is a dog." She snorted. "He's nicer than Inuyasha. I hope you never have to meet that guy." The cat pawed her chest upon hearing this, nuzzling her chin multiple times and purring. "Pff, you can't fall in love with someone you don't know, so don't make assumptions." Kagome blew a puff of air at it's face, it blinked at her blankly.

"You'd like Sesshoumaru more. Do you want to come home with me? I'm making some kind of noodle dish for my caretaker, Jaken." The cat ignored this and licked her paw with an arrogant sort of air.

"You're a bit sassy, aren't you?" Kagome giggled, something she hadn't done in a long time. "You must be a girl. Only a girl would treat a girl this way." It looked up at her with it's big ruby eyes that implored her with a question she couldn't answer. It jumped down from her arms and padded a few lengths out until it turned to her, and in one giant flame it matured into a full grown…lion?

"Interesting talent." Kagome laughed, clapping her hands. "What else can you do?" she was acting like an entertained child, grinning from ear to ear and watching in amusement as the giant cat flew around her with it's enormous feet on fire.

"Take me for a ride!" Kagome said, holding her hands together in excitement. "Please?"

The cat bowed on it's front two legs and allowed her to climb onto it's back and hold onto it's mane. With a powerful leap, it was in the air, shooting higher and higher into the clouds, climbing them like they were rungs to a ladder. "I want to name you." Kagome whispered in it's ear as the wind streamed tears down her face. "Why is the only thing I can think of Kilala? It doesn't even seem appropriate for a cat like you." She smiled again when the cat rolled it's eyes back and purred.

"We'll call you 'Kilala' then."

xXx

Kilala landed with a 'fwumph' and a cloud of dust around her. She lurched to the side and dumped Kagome off in a cheerful heap. "Are you going to come back?" she asked, mussing the fur on top of her head. "because, something like you, you have to have a home somewhere else."

Kilala meowed, which was more like a roar.

"I'll take that as a yes." she said, and her new found friend was gone. Above the trees and out of the meadow to disappear in the egg-yolk sun that was now setting.

Turning back to the camp, Kagome ran towards it. She'd been gone too long and had possibly even missed Jaken's return—which he would not be happy about. Racing as fast as she could in a kimono, she stepped lightly over flowers and swished through the grass with the saccharine gold of the sunlight soaking her back. Fireflies were beginning to come out, their faerie-like light casting blue-green glows across her face.

Seeing Ah-Un in the distance, Kagome slowed and caught her breath, weaving her lissome fingers through the blazing trail that the tiny bugs left. Cheeks flushed, she gathered her skirts and exhaled a tired breath. Twirling in small circles, she laughed lightheartedly when the fireflies were drawn to her presence and surrounded her, as if they were moths attracted to candlelight.

And then something caught her arm and pulled her from a ballerina grace, forward.

"I told you not to leave the camp." Sesshoumaru said, his face only inches from hers.

**A/N: Reviews are welcome.**


	9. Chapter 8

Kagome was breathless.

Sesshoumaru gripped her arm tightly, angled upward so the cuff of her kimono slid down her elbow revealing her buttery smooth skin. "And you left despite my warning."

"I-i…I just went for a walk." She stuttered, staring into his favorably autumn-orange eyes. "I…wasn't going anywhere."

"Naïve human, parasites come out at night." He held her wrist harder, making her flinch. "Things that would only be too happy to find a vulnerable girl in a meadow by herself." He shook his head angrily, his lips moving just a pinky's length from her own.

"You're hurting my hand…" Kagome whispered, wriggling her fingers. The sun was disappearing, it's light caress gliding down Sesshoumaru's face and carrying on down his throat. She could see her hazy reflection in his eyes, her hair was pulled back messily with strands of onyx lazily wisping over her forehead.

"Disregard my rules again, and I'll do more." He paused in front of her, for a split second his icy eyes dropped to her lips, and with his head turned slightly to the right, he almost looked as if he would kiss her….but instead he threw her hand down and headed back towards the fire, which Jaken had miraculously made on his own.

"You see M'Lord! I told her to stay and sh—" Sesshoumaru smacked Jaken across the head and pushed him to the ground with the heel of his foot. "You did not keep an eye on her."

Jaken's skin turned an ugly shade of brown as he blushed and threw himself at Sesshoumaru's feet. "Please forgive m-me!" he wailed, writhing around in the dirt.

Kagome wrung her hands nervously, standing off to the side near Ah-Un's back legs. For the strangest reason she wanted to leave and see if Sesshoumaru would come after her. However , his warning still reverberated In her mind, echoing back and forth.

There was something else though, something that was calling her deep into the forest. Call it an instinct, but she felt as if there was something she needed to see. She decided that when Sesshoumaru left for his nightly walk, she would slip out of Jaken's sight and take her own walk through the woods. It would be a short one, she would make sure not to stray too far from the light of the fire or sound of Ah-Un grunting. Sesshoumaru had advised her not to be in the _meadow _at night, so the forest wouldn't be much better.

Without much thought, Kagome decided that if she did get in trouble, Sesshoumaru would save her.

But there were things Sesshoumaru could not do, too.

xXx

The trees were silent, when was the last time there had been no wind like this? There weren't even crickets out, or any other type of animal for that matter. Avoiding big bushes and keeping an eye for twigs was turning out to be a lot harder than though as Kagome hiked through the thick shrubbery. Ribbons of pale yellow moonlight pushed through the fat forest leaves that hung over her and lit up patches of ground before her. Without that, she would be completely blind.

Up ahead, Kagome saw the flicker of a tiny light. It looked like a candle flame, or perhaps the burning wick of a lantern hanging from a house. Sesshoumaru's voice repeated inside her head again, telling her not to go any further.

She ignored it.

The last thing she needed was for some guy to start being the conscience inside her head, telling her wrong from right. In fact, it would make her feel good just to go see what that light was, and break some more of his rules. If Sesshoumaru really could rape her and be able to take all her powers, then so be it. He could be a terrible person and do it. But somewhere in her heart, she knew he wouldn't…he couldn't.

Sesshoumaru was too….

Kagome slowed, taking tiny footsteps and wincing every time she stepped on a dry leave or stick. Could she be any noisier? In front of her were two giant oak trees, their mushroom like tops obscured anything past them and the thing she could see was the space in between both of them. She had been right, it was a lantern, but it wasn't hanging from any house. It was hanging from the limb of the left oak tree, suspended and totally still. With a couple lungfuls of air, Kagome held her breath and crept towards the lantern until she arrived at the oak's roots. Being careful not to make any noise, she leaned forward and pressed her hands against the tree's bark, then followed with her chest and finally her waist. The simple action that normally would have taken seconds had she not been trying to be quiet, left her panting.

It was people who had hung the lantern, and those people were on top of each other, moving soundlessly on a raggy blanket laid out over the rocky floor. Kagome could not see their faces, but she knew what they were doing.

_I should be leaving…_Kagome thought guiltily, blushing. But she was fascinated by this intimacy, the soft groans of the woman beneath were sticky with lust, and the man never ceased to give her more pleasure. Peeking farther around the tree, Kagome watched childishly as the woman whispered something in the man's ear, clutching his back and dragging her nails down his sides when he suddenly picked up a bit of speed. She watched the woman climax, her mouth, a tiny circle outlined with thin lips fell open as a single gasp left her body.

It was that that made Kagome stumble. Blushing and feeling abnormally hot, she'd leaned over too far and had to catch herself. This in turn, scraped a chunk of bark off the tree which fell to the ground. Any other day, this would not have mattered. But the man whipped his head to the side, and still inside the lady, growled in her direction. Kagome fell backwards in panic. She recognized the man now.

It was Inuyasha.

If there was one person on this earth she never wanted to meet again, it would have been him. Breath hitching in her throat, Kagome began to shy away but was stopped when the edges of her kimono betrayed her and caught on the bark of the tree.

"n-n-no…" she hiccupped, falling on her rear.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, his voice husky. He sounded hurt and surprised, two things that Kagome did not understand at all. Pulling out of the woman beneath him, Inuyasha quickly pulled on his pants and walked towards the gap between the trees. Kagome scrambled away, slitting her hands open on the sharp blades of grass.

"Stay a-away from me!" Kagome cried, holding up her hand in defense. The dog's front side was shadowed and she could only see the small glint in his eyes reflecting the little bit of moonlight.

"Kagome, I've been so worried about you! Where the hell have you been?" Inuyasha took a giant step towards her and hugged her stiff body.

"I don't know who you are!" Kagome squealed, "Go, go back to your woman!"

"Is that what this is about? Is it? I love you Kagome, It can work, it really can." Inuyasha took hold of her shoulders and pressed his lips against hers, pushing her to the ground. He forcefully explored her mouth and held her arms tight to the ground beside her. Kagome squirmed and bucked against his body. _I love you Kagome. _

When you loved someone, you did not do this, Kagome screamed inside her mind. So why did it affect her so? This cruel man's kiss was tearing her apart, making her feel an indescribable, unfathomable amount of sadness. It was as if he was pouring his grief and desire into her throat and forcing her to swallow it whole.

When you swallow too much water, you drown.

Kagome shoved Inuyasha off of her and ran, crashing through the leaves and cracking her shoulders and fingertips against tree stumps. Leaves sliced her cheeks open and stung her eyes, along with the salty tears that were already drying on her cheeks.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha was screaming, his voice full of pain. Why did he sound so destroyed? It was her that was destroyed, why did he cause her such terrible sensation and suffering? Why had watching him make love to someone affect her so much?

"P-please…" Kagome sobbed, seeing the Jaken's fire in the distance. "P-please h-help me…"

"Please…"

Black.

xXx

"Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome was in the lily meadow again, except not in the same spot. This was all Liam's doing. For what reason had she ever associated herself with him in the first place? Something pricked at the back of her mind and forced her to hold her head down until it passed. _Well, _Kagome thought, _at least I'm safe._

Or was she? It was daylight now, except not really because there was a sea of fog smothering her down against the ground and she couldn't even see a foot in front of her. This was the first time she could remember ever having been in bad weather here since Sesshoumaru saved her from the waterfall.

"Sesshoumaru?"

The problem was, last time she'd gotten out of here with no trouble, but the fog was a setback. That, and she wasn't in the same spot she'd originally been. Getting to her feet turned out to be quiet the dilemma too with all her new injuries, couldn't she just be unharmed for once? Kagome answered her own question and picked her way through the field of grey lilies. She'd never had much of an imagination,( not that she could recall) but with every timid step she took, she expected a dark clothed figure to step forward and snicker at her. It was still daylight, though, right? Less scary things roamed around because they enjoyed the cover of darkness.

Or fog, fog could do it too.

"Jaken?"

Like the little green thing could help, but she called him anyways.

"You're not in the same meadow, Kagome." Liam said from behind her.

Kagome's heart jumped and sped forward when she turned around. A dog-whistle squeal left her mouth and stopped itself once she realized Liam wasn't the cloaked monster.

Well, he was half of that anyways.

"You're in the alternate one I've created in my mind." He tapped his head thoughtfully and smiled. "Hence all the mist around you." He indicated the cloudiness with a sweep of his arm, as if she hadn't already noticed.

He wore a black silk robe which blended in with the curls of his hair above it. His eyes though, his eyes weren't brilliantly green right now. They looked more like the murky brown you might find at the bottom of a lake. But the rest of him was the same, same olive skin, same unfortunately sculpted body.

"Why'd you take me…here?" Kagome questioned uneasily.

"You just can't seem to stay out of trouble." Liam said plainly, but in his voice there was a hitch of mischief. "But I also wanted a bit of you to myself." He turned to smoke then materialized next to her. "Since Sesshoumaru seems to think I can only….reside In water."

Liam was not forceful this time, not in any painful way. He wound his leg around the back of hers and tripped her backward so she'd fall into his arms. "I-I'm not ready for this…" she said shakily, in attempts to get him to stop.

Liam laughed as he pulled open the lapel of her kimono and pulled it apart just till you could see the roundness that her breasts made with him on top of her. "Ready for what?" He slowly undid the rope holding his robe together, and let the shiny fabric leave his shoulders to reveal his chest.

"What do you think I'm going to do, girl?"

He played with her thighs, letting her be certain of the stiffness she gave him, then spoke seductively in her ear of the things he wanted to do, and the reactions he wanted to see. This immediately turned Kagome hot from her place on the ground, both temperature wise and other ways…she was attracted to Liam, yes. But she also had a larger attachment to Sesshoumaru.

"Stop thinking about that useless dog!" Liam snapped, grabbing her chin and yanking it towards him. He kissed her surprisingly gentle, nibbling on her bottom lip and being only too grateful when she stuck her tongue back into his mouth without resisting. The next step seemed to be created just be Kagome dragging her fingers heatedly over the toned muscles of his shoulder blades. Liam groaned and moved the bottom parts of her kimono aside to touch her…

"N-no, Liam, stop." Kagome closed her thighs and turned to the side. "I can't do this, I can't."

Liam sat beside her, staring at her blankly instead of giving her an answer.

"It's because you saw them, making love." Liam whispered, "Isn't it."

Kagome sat up and turned to him quickly, "How did you know about that?"

"How can you _still _be affected by him? You shouldn't even feel a thing for him anymore."

"Wait, what?" Kagome prodded, eyes widening.

"Forget this happened, I'm sending you back."

Kagome reached out for his's shoulder, beginning to say, "Liam, wait…"

But he was gone, she was gone, and she woke up in the lilies only remembering his kiss and nothing else.


	10. Chapter 9

"She acted like she didn't know me, like I was going to hurt her or something." Koga leaned forward and set his forehead in his palms. He sat on floor, legs splayed and elbows placed atop his grubby knees. "Then she pushed me away, but with…her priestess powers." He grunted and smirked. " Damn, that really hurt when she did that."

Kaede continued to stir stew that was inside a pot over the small fire in her hut. She nodded and gave a very grandmotherly, "Hmmmnnnn." Tasting the stew with a wooden spoon, she closed her eyes and savored to flavor. "I've been worried about the girl." Kaede whispered, setting the spoon to the side. "Disappearing like that, you might be glad to know that Inuyasha was in shambles looking for her."

Koga snorted, swatting a fly away. "Kagome told me he raped her, she was screaming at me and telling me to leave her alone."

Kaede tipped her head to the side and rubbed the small pendant around her neck with two withered fingers. "Inuyasha would not rape her, not even if he was bewitched." Kaede added another log to the fire. "He's much stronger than that."

"You're full of it, old woman." Koga said dropping his head back and glaring.

Kaede bobbed her head to this and smiled. "Perhaps. But you should wait till Inuyasha gets back so you two may speak." She got to her feet and pulled a blanket from the stack in the corner. "How long have you been traveling?"

"Got in a squabble on the way. I would have been here days earlier but I had some stuff to deal with in the tribe."

"Well, go clean yourself if you wish. And then I'll serve you some food."

Koga eyed her suspiciously. "Why, old woman, do I stink?" He stood up abruptly and left, heading towards the river.

"Why, yes. You do." Kaede answered quietly to herself. "Like death and Kagome's blood."

xXx

Ignoring Sango and Miroku, Inuyasha strode into Kaede's house angrily, whacking away the flap at the entrance. He sat down with a harrumph near the fire, sniffing the spot where Koga had sit.

"The wolf's been here." He said, dipping a dirty finger into the stew. "What for?"

Kaede whipped his hand with the spoon, leaving a welt. "He had an encounter with Kagome and wanted to speak with thee about it."

Inuyasha choked on his spit and stuttered, "What?"

Kaede turned to him with a pile of dirty clothes in her arms and regarded him condescendingly. "Why, Inuyasha? Have you too?"

Inuyasha had a flashback that sent his insides somersaulting. He'd been drunk on emotion, yes. And he'd very obviously scared the living daylights out of her with that kiss. But she hadn't told him to sit, and she'd only ran away. He'd spoken the truth though, _finally. _But in the worst way possible. He _did _love Kagome, but she was a stubborn girl and never even hinted at any offer to give him anything Kikyo ever did. However, she had told him she loved him a long time ago, at the beginning. She'd said it very clearly and to her statement he'd only given her a half-smile and a nod. Inuyasha fought back a rather unmanly set of tears. They really could have been lovers, they had been. They were.

But this, all this. Now she knew, despite her not remembering him at all. She knew, and it was over. This, and he had no idea where she was, or why she was not with him. Somehow though, he was grateful. She had been true to him for as long as she'd known him, even if she did feel a certain way for Koga. She had never left him like he left her almost every night for Kikyo. In a way, Inuyasha was glad Kagome was gone and scared of him.

_I love you Kagome._

Inuyasha flinched away from the thought and decided to ponder other things entirely. Like the fact that she had up and vanished, her scent dissipating into the crisp night air leaving him stranded among a hundred dark trees. He'd passed out after that, but that wasn't the point.

"Inuyasha?" Kaede pressed.

"No, I haven't seen her."

Kaede was silent and then, "Well Koga is down at the river, was—"

"Quiet, old woman, I'm back." Koga tossed his dirty vest from hand to hand with an insipid look in his eyes. His forearms still had dirt on them, which went to say that Koga didn't learn proper bathing etiquette from any of his parental figures. Drying his hair with one of the towels Kagome kept in her bag (a detail Inuyasha ignored) Koga spit out the window and sat beside him.

"Have you seen her, mutt?" He eyed him knowingly, smelling Kikyo on his clothes.

Inuyasha crossed his arms and pointed his chin at the muddled bruise on his right shoulder that spread down to his far pectoral muscle. "Get hurt?"

"By her." Koga answered, dropping his stare. "She said you raped her, went nuts and shot some light out of her hand. By the time I came to she was gone."

"Raped her? I never raped her…" Inuyasha started, but seeing Koga's disapproving face, he stopped. "When did this even happen?"

"A week or so ago, I don't know. I haven't had much time to just come out here." He slid on his shoes.

Inuyasha stripped of his shirt and crumpled it in his hands. On the sides of his back Koga spotted five red nail marks trailing from the top of his shoulder that made a wide arc and came back down under his armpits. "Still having sex with that wench?"

Inuyasha's jaw tightened. "Still married to Ayame?"

Koga shut up, eyes narrowed.

"Whatever mutt, if you see her, tell me. I'll return the favor."

Koga threw off the towel and tossed it over Inuyasha's head. By the time Inuyasha peeled it off and raced out of the house, Koga was just a small tornado in the distance.

_I love you Kagome._

She wouldn't ever love him back.

xXx

Koga cursed at himself, digging his nails into the toughened flesh of his palms. So Inuyasha knew, so what? He didn't love Ayame like he loved Kagome. And that night Kagome had kissed him, (well actually…) he felt her, if only for a split second, relax into his grip and open her sweet mouth to his own….

Skipping from rock to rock, Koga caused a fuss among peasants walking alongside the road taken aback by the dusty tornado that flew past them. In the far reaches of his mind, he knew he was cheating on Kagome. She may not love him as he loved her, but that was the point of love, right? Be faithful no matter what the circumstances? He slept with Ayame almost every week, and he'd even enjoyed it a couple times. What man wouldn't? Ayame was dazzling, but she wasn't Kagome. _You're wretched. _ He told himself, biting his lip. He was no different from Inuyasha, no different at all.

_**A/N:** Thanks for the review, Taixi. :) I attempted to clarify some of the things you mentioned. It's one of those things that makes more sense in my mind, so thanks again for pointing that out. If the chapter is too forward i can change it and add stuff later. I don't actually have a planned out storyline, just events that i will have happen that fit in somewhere. Like i said, this is just for fun. However, if anyone needs more clarification, I'm up for it.  
_


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